It's Now or Never
by Its a Nanny thing
Summary: Can Mr. Sheffield handle Fran dating other guys? Is he ready to admit to his feelings for her when she is finally moving on? Read and Review please!
1. Chapter 1

Don't Wait Till It's Too Late

Chapter 1

Fran's P.O.V.

At Ma's

"Mr. Sheffield, this situation is not going to work for me anymore. You need to make a decision. You can't keep pulling me along for whenever you want to be in a relationship with me. I just can't take it anymore. It's either now or never."

"That was very good darling. Now back to the mansion and say it to his face. On second thought, no. Don't. He is the best damn thing that ever happened to you and you can't afford to screw us out of this one too! You're over thirty and single! You're going to grow old and die a single, bitter woman!" Sylvia shouted as she waltzed into Fran's old bedroom.

"Ma! I came here to get away from the drama. How about some privacy? Oh, I'm sorry. I forgot it's a foreign concept to you!" Sylvia rolled her eyes as she walked over and sat next to her daughter on the bed. She looked into her eyes and saw hurt, pain, and betrayal. "He doesn't know what he wants Ma. I don't know what to do."

"Sweetheart, I'm sure he knows what he wants. He is just afraid. Isn't it obvious that he loves you? He doesn't need to say it directly to you. He says it by the way he looks at you and talks to you." Fran looked at her mother.

"I don't know Ma. I feel as if he will never be able to express his true feelings to me. I can't stay there forever waiting on him and saying 'Three more years, Mr. Sheffield, three more years!'" Fran did her best imitation of Yetta.

"Just don't rush into anything, darling."

"What rushing, Ma? I have been in idle waiting for who I thought to be the man of my dreams and it got me nowhere. I have to move on!" Fran got up from the bed.

"Don't do anything that you will regret later. Go back to the house. It's O.K. if you don't try and pursue a relationship with that gorgeous millionaire in the mansion." She stuck her arms out and pretended to be dizzy. When she "got her bearings" she continued. "Those children need you. You are the closest thing to a mother they have and they can't bear to lose you."

"You're right. They need me. Even if I don't want to go back, I am going to, for them. But I am moving on, emotionally. Thanks Ma. Love ya." Fran bent down and kissed her mother goodbye.

"Bye, darling. Love you." Fran walked out of the room and Sylvia sighed.

_ That's my girl. _She thought. _Besides, they are meant for each other. It's destined to be. _She walked from the room to go get a snack.

At the Sheffield Mansion

"Gracie, sweetie, are you ready to go to the park?" Fran asked. When she had arrived back at the mansion earlier, she decided that to get her mind off of things she would take Grace to the park to get her mind off of things.

"Sure Fran. Let me run upstairs and get my purse." She ran upstairs as Niles came out of the kitchen.

"Miss Fine, a gentleman came by for you when you were at your mothers. He said his name was Mason."

"Oh, I remember him" Fran said as Gracie came back down the stairs. "I met him at that night... book reading that featured um…who was it again?"

"Mother Goose."

"Oh, right Mother...Goose" Fran gave Niles the evil eye. Niles shrugged his shoulders and Gracie giggled. "What did he want?"

"Well he wanted to speak to you so he gave me this." Niles handed Fran a scrap of paper with a number on it.

"Thank you Niles. I'll call him later." Fran and Grace walked out the door. In the limo ride, Gracie turned to Fran.

"So, who is this Mason guy?" Gracie may have been young, but Fran caught her up on guy drama almost first. After Niles, of course.

"Just some guy I met…somewhere. It's nothing serious."

"Oh, just wondering."

"Gracie, is everything alright?"

"Yeah, I guess. It's just that if you get serious about a guy, you might forget about us."

"Angel, by the looks of my love life right now, that will never eva happen. Besides, I could never forget you kids. I love you guys." Gracie smiled.

"I love you too Fran. Oh look, we're here!" They got out of the limo. Fran took bread out of her purse so that they could feed the pigeons.

"Well hello there Fran." Fran turned around to see a familiar face.

"Mason? What are you doing here?" Fran quickly scanned her surroundings to see if he was with someone. When she saw that he wasn't, she smiled.

"Just taking a walk. I came by your house earlier."

"Yeah, yeah I know. I'm sorry I haven't returned your calls. I just…"

"Hey, hey don't worry about it. Mind if I join you?" Fran smiled and nodded.

"Gracie, here take the bread and go down by the lake. See if the ducks want some." Gracie took the bread and ran down by the lake. Fran and Mason found a nearby bench.

"You're daughter is adorable," Mason said.

"She's not my daughter. I like to think of her as mine though. I'm just the nanny. Her mother died years back in a car accident." Fran sighed. She had known of the accident for many years but it still got her in tears.

"I feel so bad for her." Fran nodded. She knew what he meant. "So…what are you doing tomorrow night? Got any plans?"

"Not yet." Fran smiled. He laughed.

"Great. Well, how about dinner?"

"Sounds good. Where we going?"

"Surprise." He winked at her. Gracie came running back, all out of bread. "Pick you up at six?"

"Sure. Come on Gracie let's go. See you tomorrow, Mason."

"See you, Fran. Bye cutie."

"Mason, stop! Oh you meant her," Fran joked. She walked to the car with Gracie following. She couldn't wait to get home to find what she was going to wear.


	2. Chapter 2

Don't Wait Till It's Too Late

Chapter 2

Fran's P.O.V.

The Sheffield Mansion

"I like this one!" Maggie cooed as she observed Fran's dress. It was a long silk strapless dress with black and red splotches. It had a flowy feel when she walked. Fran did a turn. She looked in the mirror, frustrated.

"I don't know… it would help a lot if I knew where he was taking me," Fran said as she went back into the closet.

"Well, he just wants to surprise you. I think it's sweet." Fran came out of the closet with a purple short cocktail dress that flared a little at the bottom.

"I like this one better than the last one. I'm sure that he's not going to take you on a picnic first date so you should be good." Fran smiled a grateful smile. She went downstairs with Maggie following.

"Miss Fine can you come here for a minute?" A very loud, very sexy English accent called from the office. Fran hobbled into the office, putting on her high heels as she went.

"Yeah Mr. Sheffield?" Fran finally got her heel on and perched on the edge of his desk.

"Well…I heard from someone…"

"Niles," Fran quickly said. It was never a secret that if a secret got out Niles was the culprit. "Go on." He seemed uncomfortable. He was swirling his pointer finger on the crevices of his desk. "Mr. Sheffield is everything alright?"

"Fine, Miss Fine. No fun intended. Niles told me that you were going to a…um…meeting tonight." Fran tried to hold back a giggle but failed.

"Mr. Sheffield…it's called a date."

"O.K. I just wanted to confirm that you were. Any idea what time you will be home?" He didn't make eye contact with her.

"No, I don't know where he is taking me."

"Oh, so like a surprise?"

"Romantic huh?"

"I suppose…"

"Is there anything else Mr. Sheffield?"

"Hmmm… oh, no Miss Fine. Carry on." Fran walked out of the office with a smirk curling on her lips. He was jealous of her going out on a date with some random guy.

_Oh, I can have some fun with this._

The rest of the time passed by pretty quickly. She went to her mothers to pass the time. When she got back, it was already 4:45. She ran upstairs to get ready. At 5:55 she came down the stairs with the purple dress that she picked out earlier. Her hair cascaded down her back in soft ringlets. She pulled back a bit in the front to add a soft poof. Her makeup done to perfection, as always. She had a pair of black wedges with a sparkly bow. She looked at herself in the mirror, satisfied.

She could hear muffled voices coming from the office. She went to tell Mr. Sheffield that she would be leaving shortly when she heard who they were talking about.

"Sir, don't you think that you were being unreasonable?" Niles had his duster in his hands but he was chatting with his boss.

"I suppose, Niles. It's just how much does she actually know this guy?"

_Oh, hold on a minute buddy. They are talking about me! _She was about to butt in until she heard Niles.

"May I speak freely sir?" Mr. Sheffield gave him a strange look but nodded his head anyways. "If you have a problem with her going out with someone that she just met, why don't you just go and tell her? I am so sick of you complaining to me about something that you should man up and do something about, other than complain!" Fran decided that now was the time she should go in. She stepped in and Mr. Sheffield's face grew very red. Niles walked out with a humph.

"You know, I agree with Niles. If you have something to say regarding my personal life, I would like if you came and said it to me." Fran stomped her foot as she said it.

"Alrighty then, Miss Fine. What compels you to go on a date with this guy when you barely know him? Last I heard, you met at a nighttime book reading and haven't seen him since." Fran was appalled. How dare he suddenly take an interest in her love life only because he was jealous?

"How did you find out where I met him? And that's beside the point even tough you are way off the chart with that as well. Who are you to grill me with all of these questions? I have finally scored a date with an incredibly handsome, young guy and you can't stand it for some reason, which I would love to know. I threw myself at you. I gave you my love and you turned it down. And when I finally start to move on and get on with my life, you have to find a reason to tear me back down. Well, you know what? Not this time."

She looked at him, expecting an answer, When none came, she sighed, "O.K. that's my answer. I am going to move on." The doorbell rang. "And that just may be my ticket." With that, she whirled around on her heels, tears streaming down her face.

"Miss Fine…wait," he said. She didn't turn around. He had hurt her enough. "Fran, please," he said a little softer. She stopped in her tracks. A flashback kicked in. Same situation.

_Fran had just told Mr. Sheffield she quit. He was devastated, He tried everything to make her stay. _

"_We've been together for so many years, you still don't know what you want. I just think that it's a healthier decision for me." She put on her purse and walked towards the door._

"_No Miss Fine, I understand how you're feeling. I really do. But I don't under…"_

"_Mr. Sheffield, it's too late. I've made up my mind. I have to do this." She was almost to the door and he kept protesting. She was waving her hands at every one of them, trying to make him understand. _

"_No please don't go Miss Fine. Miss Fine, come back. Fran wait!" _

With that last comment, she dropped her jaw and turned around. He gave her some long sop story about why she should stay an she fell for it. They kissed and made up.

_And where did that get me? _She thought. _Tear-stained. Heartbroken. _Tears rolled down her cheeks. She wasn't going to go through that again.

"Not this time, Mr. Sheffield. Not this time." She whirled back around, wiped her mascara in the mirror, and went out the door.


End file.
